The Trip...another one, for a GREAT reason!!

Ok, so this last weekend...me and Mike, my sister and her husband Jeff, my aunt and cousin Kira...all seceretly planned a cross country surprize party for my Dad's birthday! We met up at my Grandparents in Weare, NH...near Concord..

So, Mike and I had a red eye leaving Seattle at 7:30PM...then to Las Vegas...then Philly...THEN Manchester, NH...it was quite an ADVENTURE! Here's how it went..


On the plane...they don't call it 'red eye' for no reason!


On the bus, between planes, in the Philly airport, makin' the most of it...poor lady who sat next to us got roped into taking our picture...





They had these great chairs...to help pass time in the airport...


This is what we DIDN't get to do in Philly, and we Sprinted throught the Las Vegas airport too...seeing as we landed w/ 3 min to make our connection...we're still sore from the effort..


Runs like a chicken, smells like a chicken, looks like a chicken...must be a chicken!! Delerium had sent in ...but we made it...another adventure in this game of life...

"SSomebody SStop Me" (the Mask)

Mike got my Mtn bike in ship shop shape last week...it's only been a 2yr process. The frame was Lisa Matlock's from when she rode for the Ford Pro Mtn bike team...the next year Ford joined Basis on our road team (and I inherited the frame), then our mechanic Eric Jellum had all the components just laying around his house and he sold them to me for like $200...wheels and all...that was 2005...and today Oct 2006 is the inaugural ride on this bad boy....









Check out the air on this wheelie ("You got like 3 feet of air on that one" Napolean Dynamite)...and that awesome building (apparently it used to be a Monastery....Mike says that word monster-ory...w/ his cute Swedish/English/lazy accent)

So we had a fun easy ride on these trail on Juanita (Finn Hill)...and at 1hr I almost started to sweat, so we immediately abandoned...this IS off season, there are STRICKT rules to abide by...

So we headed home, and did a HARD CORE workout....and I mean it...a full 20 min of Core ex given by Allison Powers....we soon realized we are Noodle Core, but we'll be HARD CORE by Jan....and SUPER SORE CORE tomorrow, and the next day, and the next day....






OH, I'm also working on creating Velvety foam AT HOME...and for the first time I got some!!! Look!







She looks better from this angle...


Ok, hi ho hi ho....it's off to work I go.

BTW, thanks Brook and Dily (?) for the supportive comments...I really do appreciate it. I know I'm hard on myself, if it was someone else I wouldn't let them talk like that about themselves....interesting!!

Did ya'll notice the new COUNTER....you're being watched...about 15ppl told me to do that....great! One more thing for me to check 5million times a day...I wonder if I check it all the time if it will look like people actually read my nonsense?

Track Nats Wrap up

Ok, I've learned a ton...the hard way. Now I focus on putting it to good use...train hard, come back in Jan and try again!

Let's see the fun parts of this trip that I haven't mentioned....


Sima and I take a break to pose, during some warm up or cool down time....she was a great roommate...it's so fun to get to know new people...we had a good time together!! Well, I did...





Here's the youngin's w/ Floyd. Shelby (on the R) is a awesome young sprinter...very impressive! Sorry, I don't know the other girl, but I'm sure she gave it her all too, and probably did well (she wore National kit stuff, so she must be good, right?)




After racing....it was Italian eating time...w/ Julia and Matt Whiteside and my big sis' Abby Shamatha!! Yummy!!

BUSTED big time!!



Oh yea, my bike was underweight...by a LOT...so I just attached a tool kit to my seat post....and down tube


Julia was so generous and sweet all week to me...she's great!!




Now Matt, that's a different story...he's Cooky...and Ab? well she's just playing along...







My big sis and I enjoyed time at Laguna Beach...

We had a great day...breakfast, beach, manicure/pedicure/eyebrow wax, lunch...all filled w/ non stop chatting! Don't we look SO much alike?? I didn't realize it till we saw these pictures...it's COOL!

Luckily we will see each other next weekend too...that's all I can say right now...

Scratch Fest and Hammer time!

So to top of a week of poor performance and huge dissapointments...I failed to make the flippin' FINALS of the Scratch. I made the SAME tactical errors Colby told me about yesterday....AAAHHGGRRRppssstttpooporamastompstomp....

But I did move around better, still need to improve there though. It was a super slow race...till the last 2 laps...and I was like 12th of 14, and 10 advance...dissapointed? YES!

So, being demoted to a spectator (but joined by my sister) I was able take pictures of the Madison and the Womens Points.






Here's Ms. Hammer ready to throw down AGAIN!! She's such a treat to watch...damn she's fast, smart, and super nice/approachable (and her dad said she's reads my blog!!! I wish that made me cooler somehow..What an HONOR....ok back to reality)











The Madison is such AWESOME race, not to sound corny....but it just has all the elements of track racing...huge technical skill w/ all the exchanges, huge changes in speed for the riders (they go from 'relief' going super easy, to a full on sprint about 30x in a race), it's super long 160 laps...probably close to 45min requiring good endurance....It was so fun to watch w/ my sister and see her really get into it!! I want to do one now!! They should have them for women at SOME level!!

Points Final WITH ADDED Photos

Sima got to meet Floyd Landis before the start...and being the total crack up she is, as well as a Pediatric Physical Therapist...after he told her he had recently undergone a hip replacement (seeing as Sima was the only person on the planet that did'nt know)...she says, "Well I'm a Pediatric physical therapist, so if you start crying like a baby I can help you out!"...HA! Isn't that awesome!!! She's so funny, I wish I had the balls to talk to Floyd....I was around but was too shy to ask for a photo...NOT SIMA!

Matt and Julia Whiteside (our original hosts) came to watch the Scratch Final..I may look relaxed...but don't be fooled!





Here I am next to Sarah Uhl, I like being close to my friends whenever possible!




Friends stick together...






Holy Macarroni that was hard! I didn't score ANY points, wasted energy, rode aggressively, attacked when I thought I couldn't finish the race, fought like a pit bull to get back on about 8cazillion times, and finished in the pack....









Colby gave me a ear full (all of which I NEEDED to hear) about my poor choice in use of my energy...trying to lead out the sprint like Sarah Hammer does, but guess what, I'm not 4x stronger than these girls, and they all come around me on the sprint...I have made that mistake TOO many times, it's frustrating NOT to learn, and keep making the same mistakes...

On a positive note, I never gave up....I suffered like a dog, but didn't stop trying to be a part of the race....I would be off the back, catch back up and go straight to the front...just like Nicole taught me...because that's where all the champions are...but unfortunately I didn't have the legs to back it up...so then I'd get passed....get shot out the back, chase back on, and go to the front, repeat as needed.....I think there were like 3x I thought I was dropped, then I remembered that I NEVER quit...I have to die trying...so I'd scrape my way back....

Another dissapointing race. I feel like I am so much stronger than how I'm racing here....maybe that's what everyone thinks when the race poorly....It's so embarressing, I want so desperatley to perform like I know I can....but the legs aren't there...

I just have to accept it and make the needed changes and move on!

Points Race Heats

That's what we had today. And I made the finals...that's all I know! It was great to finally RACE! This is by far the strongest feild I've ever raced with on the track!

It's pretty cool to watch Sarah Hammer, just do WHATEVER she wants, w/ such ease.

So tonight we have the Final. At like 9pm...crazy to race so late...but when you have an indoor track you can race anytime!!

My sister is coming tomorrow, I'm so excited. I'm so grateful for my family's support. It's a 6hr drive, she's driving in on Sat, and back home Sunday...that's a lot of driving! And my Mom drove 11hrs from Wichita to Colo Spring to watch our 16min Scratch race at Master Nationals. But it was great to see her, and my lil' bro Sam.

Ok, it's rest time before our night session! Blogging doesn't count!

REST SHMEST...let's look at some photos:


Kory is stretching, Katie Compton is sitting in front of Kory, and behind them is Becky, all relaxing before the Points heats....our heat had 14 riders, 10 move on







Everybody is getting ready...Larua, Tom Zerbel, Scott Z. all hangin out!










This is Andrew Hawkes..he's THE BEST ever! He is the mechanic for USA cycling. He has helped me out SO SO much this week, and at track camp...I can't even tell you. He's so patient and calm..so we complement eachother WELL (because I'm NEROTIC)...But a hugeasaurous THANK YOU to Andrew for all his time and effort dealing w/ Nuts-o-Kele!!











After our morning session we returned to our Getto hotel room, and Sima made an authentic Persian meal for us...w/ her CANNED veggies and instant Brown rice...nothing but the best from Walnut for us...Strange, no Whole Foods here in COMPTON!

Track Nats Day 2, 2K test

My mean machine...

19 girls competed in the 2K mass start test, ONE qualified! Neva Day...Nice Job...I cannont remember her exact time...but she rode the 500 under 34sec, and the overall under 2:34

The rest of us are very dissapointed, so much time and effort to try to make that time....what doesn't kill us makes us stronger. Kelly Ben-jamin' put up the closest time making the 500 time, but BARELY missing the overall, Sarah Uhl was painfully close too making the 500...Sima also made the 500...We all gave it our best, and learned how hard it is!!

Track Nationals!

Holy Cow, look at all these people!


This is the start gate, it holds your bike, then releases at the EXACT moment you start (I got a little confused, and had a false start because I went on 1 instead of GO...and clipped out)

I'm not behind a fence, it's me behind a netting...Thanks Sima for taking the picture...

Ok. Track Nats have arrived. I started w/ the 3K...w/ almost 20 other women!!
Sarah Hammer showed us how it's supposed to be done w/ a 3:32, Katie Compton took 2nd w/ a qualifying time of 3:50 (in the final, Sarah caught Katie in 6 laps...but Katie had asked if she could keep going because she had come so close to making the time standards 3:49...but someone forgot to tell the lap counter person, so she wasn't able to finish, total bummer for her!)

Here's Sarah Killin' it in the Qualifier...she's so fast I could'nt get the picture close up..
I think Neva Day got silver and qualified w/ a 3:52 (I think), then Kristina King took Bronze w/ a qualified w/ a 3:55....


The rest of us....Kim Giest posted the 5th fastest time w/ a 3:58, then KeleKeleBoBelly at 3:59, Sarah Uhl 4:01....and that's all I can remember.

I was dissapointed not making the finals...but those girls were faster, peroid! So, now I return to training, and I'll try again in January!

More Willy

This is how Willy goes for a bike ride

I'll be right back Willy....

Silly Willy

I'm now staying with Matt and Julie Whiteside, two awesome people who are the proud parents of Willy...a super duper dog w/ cat like skills...Today he's going for the suprize stick catching in the back yard in Fullerton on Tues afternoon title..

Let's cheer him on...








Where's the stick Willy?









Is it in the yard?








And Willy pulls off a Back side Ali w/ a McTwist for 2006 Fullerton Yellow Lab stick catching on Tues afternoon's gold medal! Congradulations Willy!








Tell us about how you came to be such a high level athlete yourself! Do you have any advice for those of us about to compete in Elite Track Nationals?








"Smile MORE!!!"
Thanks Willy, great advice!!!

There ya go Mike, I hope you enjoy the photos (my husband is a HUGE animal fan...he asks more about the pets I stay w/ than ME!! I love it!! really I do, he's so sweet, and cute, and cuddily, ok ok...I'll stop, I'm sure you've all rolled your eyes by now...or mabye YOU'RE SMILING MORE??)

La La Land

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"I SAID VELVETY FOAM, YOU FOOL!!"

After getting that straightened out, we went to Sushi Sei, for REAL sushi...meaning, it didn't come in a plastic container...

I learned, these girls dont JUST know coffee, they know Sushi and Dessert too...what fun! Sa-she-me is fish straight up (not really, it was flat on the plate), Na-dari?? a clump of rice w/ fish on top, hand rolls...the sushi 'ice cream cone' w/ seaweed filled w/ rice and fixins', oh and Meso soup (no spoon, you drink it...just like the end of the cereal bowl, AND Mom doesn't yell at you)...it was so fun to do something new and different w/ ppl who love it and KNOW what to order. The chefs seemed to really love thier job, making the food that little bit better....

Since it was such a light dinner, we decided to top it off w/ some DESSERT French pastry style....





Guilty as charged!






Sarah fell in love...this dress just called out to her..





But it ran kicking and screaming after Jennie pawed it...

We had a great relaxing day...few and far between...but great non the less!